Be Okay
by applestoalways47
Summary: Post-ep for 5x05. One-shot, maybe. Castle is still worried about his safety and that of his loved ones, and Kate tries to soothe his anxiety simply using love. Serious/not-playful-banter-ish Caskett, a tidbit of Castle family loft stuff, and love smut.


**GAAAAAH PROBABLE CAUSE! SO. FERKING. GOOD. Just had to write a post-ep because COME ON THAT WAS AMAZING! Plus I need some Beckett-comforting-Castle time because he just looked like a kicked puppy. Kind of M-ish at the end, but it's love smut.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Castle; I am simply a humble fangirl presumptuously borrowing it from the beautiful king of Marloweland.

**Be Okay**

Castle stared pensively at the view from the bridge. Tyson's voice piercing the New York night with promises of Kate's death pervaded his thoughts. He tried to fight back images of Tyson restraining her, harshly jabbing a gun into her body. That perfect, beautifully scarred body that Rick caressed with his lips and hands each night, making sure that he went over every inch. Twice.

That nagging theory that Tyson had planned the entire murder as a means to an end, his faked death, would not leave Rick's mind.

Kate had hardly walked ten steps before she regretted every click of her heels on the pavement. For some inexplicable reason, Castle's crazy theory, one of many (but uncharacteristically serious this time) had gotten to her. He had said that Tyson's death was not certain, and she believed he might be right. Tyson had shoved her against his chest, and she had briefly registered the feel of Kevlar before her stomach flinched at the cold steel of a gun. As scary as the hypothesis was, Kate believed Rick. When one falls in love with someone, one tends to believe that person unconditionally. This case had taught her that.

But Castle didn't need a possible conformation of his theory.

He needed comfort.

And Kate had given him an icy dagger almost-truth and a cold shoulder to go with it as she turned to leave, expecting him to follow once he had snapped out of his stupor.

But he was still there, staring out at the water.

She turned her head, let out a sigh at the pained face of her man-child, mentally chiding herself, and sidled over to his viewpoint against one of the cruisers.

Saying nothing, she slid her fingers loosely into his, sparking some life in them, but not much, as they weakly folded over hers. The couple gazed at the view together for a few moments before Kate gave a slight tug on his hand. He turned to her, their faces meeting in half-smiles pained by weeks of fatigue compressed into a stressful block of hours.

They walked back to Beckett's car, their still threaded hands slightly swaying in the autumn morning breeze.

They were going to be okay.

Kate and Rick drove back to the loft in comfortable silence, the weight of things left unsaid not bearing a burden on them now. It would come later, but not now.

Martha and Alexis drew them each into a hug as soon as their feet crossed the threshold.

Alexis nearly tackled her father, smearing her not-quite-unshed tears into the crook of his neck. He gripped her tightly, possessively, thanking God that seeing her from behind bars for the rest of his life was no longer his best possible scenario. Their blue eyes could meet in perfect freedom now.

Kate sank into Martha's motherly hug, close to but not quite the same as her own mother's. Martha combed Kate's golden hair with her fingers, a tender gesture of thanks that needed no verbalization.

Rick received a maternal embrace of his own as his daughter flew to Kate, clutching her shoulders. She was shocked yet touched by Alexis' forceful but still loving action. Kate gently wove her fingers through the girl's auburn locks, mimicking Martha's comforting attentions from earlier.

"You saved him," Alexis breathed in Kate's ear, her voice only one half step above a whisper.

"He was innocent," Kate murmured into the girl's temple, a kiss of words. "All I had to do was make everyone else believe it."

Kate pulled back to meet her hazel eyes with the Alexis' blue ones, silent thanks passing between them. They both smiled knowingly, aware of everything that was almost lost in the past few days but thankful for everything that had been restored with the proof of Castle's innocence.

The couple took refuge in Rick's enormous shower, washing off the grime and doubt that had accumulated over the past view days. No funny business. They simply held each other under the spray, reveling in the feeling of free, unblemished, naked skin, save two minor cuts on their foreheads.

Once dried off, Kate donned a baggy NYPD sweatshirt and leggings, and Rick threw on a t-shirt and some sweats.

The family ate dinner together, putting the events of the day to the back of their minds over good food and good wine. Martha had a soiree to attend and Alexis a paper to finish, so they both left the loft when stomachs were full and dishes done.

Castle was loath to release his daughter's hand at the door. Kate walked up and lovingly squeezed his arm, so he let go, but not before promising Alexis lunch later in the week.

Kate's hands slid into both of his, coming to rest between their shoulders as he tilted his forehead to hers.

"I still can't help feeling that none of us is safe," he said, his eyes closed, not wanting the possibility of Tyson's survival to shroud the rest of his reality.

Kate sighed, unthreading one of her hands, ghosting it over his heart, and using it to cup is cheek. Hazel met blue as two sets of eyelids lifted.

"Even if Tyson somehow survived," Kate began, "it's like you said. Tyson takes his time to plan. When—if—he comes back, you'll—" she grasped his other hand again and rested it over his heart, "we'll—be ready for him."

"Kate—"

Her head briefly tilted upward to stop his protest with her mouth.

"Even if he comes tomorrow, Rick," she breathed against his lips, "we'll still have tonight."

Her mouth lifted to his again, a languid savor of a kiss. She used their linked hands to gently pull him toward his office and into his bedroom, her tongue lightly teasing his.

He gingerly laid her down as her calves met the bed. She pulled his shirt over his head, breaking their lip-lock for only a millisecond. His lips left hers to skirt down to her jaw and neck, but his hands intertwined with hers again.

His nose grazed her sweater as he breathed hot air passing through the valley of her breasts and halting at her hips. He nuzzled under the garment, placing wet, open-mouthed kisses on her stomach.

A soft keening came from Kate's parted lips, and Rick unlaced their fingers to push the sweatshirt further up her rapidly heating body, following its trail with his lips. He traced the jagged, raised line on her right side with a gentle finger as his lips encircled the puckered, pink flesh between Kate's breasts, caressing her scars and worshipping her strength.

He repeated this ritual every time they made love, without fail.

Kate never grew tired of it.

Rick loved every part of her, including all the physical and emotional flaws that marred her vision of herself.

He lifted the sweatshirt over her head and brought his lips to the level of hers. She tilted to capture them, but he kissed each of her closed eyelids instead, then the tip of her nose.

He nibbled her jaw line, puffing hot air on her pulse point. She groaned in half pleasure and half irritation at his failure to take her lips with his own, and his throaty chuckle against her collarbone released a fresh wave of heat through her body.

His fingers slid along the waistband of her leggings, and her keening returned. He slowly peeled them down her legs, leaving her in only her underwear as he ghosted his lips up her endless legs, bracing his hands at her hips.

He released a warm breath near her center, eliciting a moan from the back of her throat.

He finally lifted his body to glue his lips to hers, desperate but still slow and loving.

Kate's ankles wound around his waist and pushed the sweatpants from his hips. He rose to free them from his feet, and Kate immediately mewled at the loss of warmth. He shed his boxers as well, leaving him completely bare and once again hovering over her body, exchanging tender kisses.

He slid his hands around her back to unclasp her bra and discarded it on the floor. Her matching panties soon followed, and they were clinging to each other, naked and raw and alive.

Her legs locked around his hips as his hands moved everywhere, feather-light fingertips setting fire to every pore of her skin. His lips caressed her pulse point, worshipping the proof that she was alive as his fingers found her scars again.

"I thought I was going to lose you today," she half-breathed, her voice fluctuating as her eyelids fluttered in sensual rapture at his touch. Her fingers carded through his hair, anchoring his lips to her neck and pulling him infinitely close to her.

"Never," he replied. "Never, never, never, never." Each word was whispered against her skin, a promise of "never" ensuring "always."

"I thought—_Oh_—I thought—"

His lips halted hers.

"Don't think."

He slid into her slowly, reverently, and her eyelids flitted closed again as her lips parted.

"Oh _God_, Cas—" evaporated off her tongue as she gasped when he set the pace, slow and sensual.

Their fingers locked and spread their arms out on either side of them. Both of their moans grew louder, and Kate's whimpers told him she was close.

Quickly but still gracefully, he sat them both up, her in his lap, and thrust into her in a completely new and even more intimate position.

This was enough to tip her over, his name encased in a guttural moan tumbling from her lips. They clung to each other as they both rode out their highs, and he remained inside her as they refused to part from one another, as close as humanly possible.

The way her fingers slowly danced and skirted over the hair at the nape of his neck while her lips caressed his jaw sent a thousand unspoken "I love you's" through his veins.

_Yes,_ he thought. _They were going to be okay._

**First super-serious piece AND first legit smut. What do y'all think? It's supposed to be a one-shot, but I can write more if so inclined by reviews…Anywho, I'll probably end up writing more about Probable Cause anyway, even if it's not part of this story. Hope you enjoyed :)**


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